


Sophmore Squadron

by Sure-Spear (WiztheWhiteWolf)



Category: New Mutants (Comics)
Genre: Slice of life horror is a thing right?, Well it is now
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-08
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:00:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27445276
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WiztheWhiteWolf/pseuds/Sure-Spear
Summary: A handful of traumatized teenagers and a rogue technarch vs. the world, demon lords, and alien empires. What could possibly go wrong?A lot.A lot could go wrong.
Kudos: 4





	1. Black and Gold 1

“Admit it, guys,” Bobby said. “I’m awesome.”

The young Brazilian mutant stood tall, his arms folded across his puffed-out chest. He might’ve managed to look impressive, if not for the fact that the crater’s wall obscured most of his body. Well, at least he’d picked a spot where he could be seen. The impact crater was nearly twenty feet long. Shallow at its start, it sloped downward sharply. At its end, the rim of the pit stood higher than even the towering Professor Rasputin. It wasn’t so deep, however, that Rahne felt any risk in jumping down into on the deeper end. She landed with a thump and went to inspect the meteorite responsible for the damage. To her disappointment, she found not an impressive and rugged rock, but a blackened heap of slag. Bother. Had Bobby’s fireball really been so hot that it could melt stone?

It had seemed so much bigger the night before. That had been before Roberto da Costa, thoroughly aggravated to be woken up at one in the morning, had gone nuclear on it. Rahne had never seen him unleash so much power at once. Secretly she hoped to never see it again. Beautiful as the light show had been, it had nearly given Rahne a sunburn from half a mile away. After such an awe-inspiring display, Bobby had a right to be proud. Not that Rahne would ever tell him as much. Stoking Bobby’s ego often proved the quickest way to ruin an otherwise pleasant day. His crowing was already beginning to grate on her nerves. Couldn’t he have waited until after ten to start being insufferable?

Dani strode past, barely shooting Bobby a glance. She rolled her eyes and went back to inspecting something in her hand. Somehow, she’d figured out how to ignore Bobby. She’d never shared her secret technique with anyone else.

Dani had been the one to suggest using Bobby’s powers to blast the meteorite. She’d hoped to destroy it completely. Obviously, that hadn’t worked out. Oh, sure, the meteorite got blasted half a mile off course and a disastrous collision with the school had been averted, but it was still mostly in one piece. One smelly, ugly, half-melted piece that had thrown off shrapnel in every direction. The real problem had been keeping Bobby from breaking his neck after he jumped from the Blackbird. He’d passed out after the explosion. If not for the metal buckles on his parachute pouch, which had allowed Professor Lehnsherr to slow his descent, Bobby would probably be dead right now. Releasing so much power at once _should_ have left him practically comatose. Unfortunately, life was unfair. A healthy dose of morning sunlight was all it took to revitalize bobby, thanks to his mutant powers. And so Rahne had to listen to him gloat over his great victory over… A rock.

Deep metallic thumps descended down the crate towards Rahne. She glanced back to see an enormous man with gleaming silver skin approaching her. Once, the sight of Piotr Rasputin in his organic steel form had been terrifying. The longer Rahne had spent around the young professor, however, the more she found his presence comforting. Surely there wasn’t a safer place in the world than near Colossus?

“Not much to look at, is it?” Professor Rasputin asked, crouching next to Rahne. He had a deep voice and distinct Russian accent.

“Ah dunno,” Rahne replied. “This crater it made is pretty spectacular. Makes up a bit for the thing itself, ah think.”

“Ha. It is quite ugly, isn’t it?” Professor Rasuptin grabbed the rock and heaved. If he was struggling to get it out, it must’ve been stuck good. “It is good that Bobby knocked the rock into the field before it could land on the mansion.”

“Where d’you suppose it came from?” Rahne asked. “Aren’t scientists supposed ta be able to detect ones this big from hundreds a thousands a miles off?”

The meteorite finally came free, sending a small avalanche of dirt to replace it. Rahne sneezed, batting at the dust cloud. Professor Rasputin swung the meteor up into a shoulder carry with one hand and extended the other to Rahne. She accepted and he hauled her to her feet.

“Are we starting a trophy room?” Bobby asked.

“That wasn’t my idea,” Professor Rasputin said. “I was going to take this to Magneto and see if he could tell what it’s made of. But if you really want it, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to let you take it once he’s finished.

“Awesome!” Bobby said with a grin. “Hey, Dani, where should we put our trophy room?”

“Trophy room?” Dani asked. She turned, allowing Rahne to make out the glittering metal shard in Dani’s hand. About the length of a pocket knife, the metal shard glittered black and gold in the morning light.

“Yeah. This meteorite is the first piece of our collection.”

Dani slipped the shrapnel into her pocket. “I’m not sure that will make for a great trophy though.”

“What do you mean? It’s cool!”

“It’s an ugly lump of melted metal.”

“It’s an ugly lump of melted metal _from space_.”

The two continued to bicker, but a flash of movement in the corner of her eye caught Rahne’s attention. She looked up to find a young blonde woman walking past the crater’s rim, focused intently on a hunk of rock in her hands. She held it up to the sunlight and inspected it closely. Rahne jumped up and grabbed the crater’s rim, then scrambled out with ease. The girl didn’t even glance at Rahne. She looked bewildered.

“Illyana?” Rahne asked. “Hello? Can ye hear me?”

Illyana looked up sharply. Her grip tightened on the rock, and for the briefest moment Rahne swore the girl planned to use it as a weapon. Rahne yelped and jumped back. She nearly fell back into the crater, but Illyana snatched Rahne’s arm and pulled her back.

“What the hell was tha’?” Rahne asked. She tugged her arm free. “Ye looked about ready ta kill me!”

“Sorry.” Illyana’s cheeks were bright red. “I get jumpy when I’m tired. I’ve been focused on this and you surprised me.”

“Focused on what?” Rahne asked. She peered closer at the rock in Illyana’s hands. Illyana moved to hide the massive stone behind her back. Rahne gave her a flat stare.

“It’s a rock, Illyana,” Rahne said. “It’s not goin ta bite me.”

Illyana hesitated, considering Heaven only knew what. Was she jumpier than usual today? Rahne didn’t spend enough time around Illyana to tell. Or, well, it wasn’t that Rahne didn’t spend time round Professor Rasputin’s sister. It was more that she just didn’t pay very much attention to her. Illyana wasn’t a New Mutant proper, she just helped her bother with equipment. Rahne didn’t think she should feel bad for ignoring the girl.

Rahne held out her hand expectantly. Illyana passed over the rock with a sigh, and Rahen stumbled back at the weight. No wonder Illyana had held it in two hands. It could’ve passed for a hunk of lead if the smell wasn’t all wrong. This was unmistakably another piece of debris, though, lumpy and burned-smelling like the rest.

Rahne looked over the rock. It took her less than a second to see what had so fascinated Illyana. Four deep, parallel gashes covered the rock’s face, their edges melted from Bobby’s fireball. For a moment, Rahne’s mind refused to accept what she saw. She ran her fingers over the marks. Clean. Precise. Deep. Rahne could recognize claw marks anywhere. But how in the world…?

“So you see them too?” Illyana asked. Unlike her brother, she spoke without even a hint of an accent.

Rahne nodded. “Hard ta miss. Have ye shown yer brother?”

“Not yet. I didn’t want to raise a false alarm.” Illyana said.

“Look at the size of ‘em,” Rahne said. “Whatever did this could give Professor Kinney’s claws a run for their money, eh?”

“Hopefully just her claws and not her fighting ability.” Illyana said. “I don’t like this, Rahne.”

“Maybe whatever it was dinnae land with the meteor.” Rahne handed the rock back. “Or maybe it’s friendly?”

“Maybe,” Illyana said. She didn’t sound the least bit convinced. Yes, this was a rabbit day for her. Well, Rahne could forgive that. A meteorite had appeared from nowhere and nearly destroyed their home last night.

Illyana waved farewell and made her way to her brother, who stood a ways off talking to Xi’an, another of the students. Illyana kept her head on a swivel, gripping her stone like a bludgeon. There was no way she was normally that paranoid, right?

“Hey, Rahne!” Dani’s voice snapped Rahne back to reality. She and Bobby stood near a chunk of metal sticking out of the crater wall. “Come take a look at this.”

Rahne hopped down. She cocked her head as she approached her teammates, eyes locked on the metal. Something struck her as off about it. Bobby reached to pull it free, similarly entranced. Dani grabbed his wrist. What had her so afr-

The shard pulsed with yellow light.

Rahne yelped and jumped back. She blushed, realizing she’d pulled out her claws. The other two didn’t laugh. Dani nodded as if sympathetic.

“Crazy, right?” Bobby asked. “I’ve seen a lot of weird stuff, but this might take the cake.” He reached out again, and this time Dani slapped his hand down.

“Don’t touch it, Bobby!” She snapped. “We don’t know what it is. It could be dangerous!”

Rahne crept closer, inspecting the fragment. It pulsed again, and she could see now that the light ran in straight lines and dots along the metal. The pattern resembled computer circuitry, or so it seemed to Rahne. She knelt down and let the wolf out enough to enhance her senses, ignoring Dani’s protest. Coarse brown fur sprouted on Rahne’s arms and around the edge of her face as she did so. She sniffed at the shard, careful to keep her nose from touching it. Ozone. Copper. Iron. Dust. Smoke. Burned metal. Those scents she knew, but there was something else, something she couldn’t quite pin. She sniffed more intently. She knew the scent, but it didn’t belong to anything in particular. It was the smell of deep woodlands and of rolling hills, or of dew on a field in the morning, but off somehow.

“What have you got?” Dani asked.

“Ah’m not really sure,” Rahne said. “Metallic, but not entirely. Smells like… Like _life_ , but weird, Dani. Ah dunno how else ta describe it.”

“Life, huh?” Bobby said. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“I mean it smells like life.” Rahne snatched the shard from the wall before Dani could stop her. “It’s strange, but ah dinnae think it’s dangerous.”

The shard pulsed again. It was the length of Rahne’s palm, and the circuitry patterns were even more obvious now that Rahne could see the entire piece. The dim glow faded even faster this time, like a lightbulb on its last legs.

“The X-Men have been to space, haven’t they?” Dani asked. “Maybe they know what it is, or where it could’ve come from.”

“Ah dinnae think it’s Shi’Ar,” Rahne said. “Remember that Shi’Ar tech Scott showed us? The stuff they put in the Blackbird? Looked totally different.”

“What is it, then?” Bobby asked.

“What is what?” Asked a voice from behind. Rahne turned to see Xi’an. The young Vietnamese woman, only a head taller than Rahne, had snuck up on the three as effectively as Bobby before her. Rahne was beginning to sympathize with Illyana’s reaction to being surprised. The shard pulsed once more, drawing Xi’an’s eye. She plucked it from Rahne’s fingers and held it up to the sunlight.

“Some kind of computer chip?” She asked. She spoke with a nasally French accent rather than a Vietnamese one. She spoke all three languages fluently, and rarely got them mixed up.

“We don’t know,” Dani said. “I noticed it glowing in the wall there. Rahne says it smells funny.”

“That’s not what ah -” Rahne stopped herself and turned to Xi’an. “It smells like something alive was on it, or in it, or something like that.”

Xi’an simply nodded in response. She twisted the shard, which gave one last, almost invisible glow. Rahne knew somehow that they’d witnessed the thing’s last gasp.

“We should show it to Piotr,” Xi’an said. “‘E might know what it is, or at least be able to show it to professor McCoy and -“

She cut off sharply. Color bled from the black metal, leaving it a dull ashen gray. As they four watched, it began to crumble. Xi’an cupped her hands together, struggling to catch as much of the ash as possible. Even so, a small cloud of gray flakes fluttered like snow to the brown earth. The four stared, dumbfounded, at the tiny ash mound in Xi’an’s hands.

“I didn’t do it,” Bobby finally said.

“Maybe it is some sort of self-destruct mechanism?” Xi’an said, cautiously covering the mound with her left hand. “To prevent retrieval in case of destruction?”

“Destruction of what, though?” Dani asked. Rahne felt a chill, remembering the claw marked rock Illyana had shown her. “Meteors don’t need security systems.”

“Meteors don’t,” Rahne said. “But what if something were ta hitch a ride on one?” She felt the others’ eyes on her and continued before they could speak.

“Illyana found a rock, a big one. Broke off from the main meteor in the blast, ah think. It had these big claw marks in it. And yes, ah know they were claw marks. Ah’m sure of it. And whatever made ‘em was big. Really big.”

Part of Rahne knew she was rambling. It was the same part that wanted to be in bed asleep instead of wandering around the frost-covered school grounds at seven o’clock. The completely, totally, boringly human part of her tended to be right when it came to self-care, much to Rahne’s annoyance.

“So, it’s dead, then,” Bobby said. “Whatever it was. I mean, nothing could’ve survived that blast.”

“Nothing can survive the vacuum of space,” Dani said. “And yet whatever this theoretical alien was, it rode a meteor for who knows how long.”

“Let’s not argue over this,” Xi’an cut in, no doubt picking up on the annoyed edge to Dani’s voice. “We’ll talk to the professors, check the security cameras. If anything was on our rock friend, the cameras will have spotted it.”

“I don’t know –” Bobby began.

“You usually don’t, Roberto,” Xi’an said. “No offense, but you’re not the brightest even on days when you haven’t been dragged from Death’s door by a gap in the curtains.”

“I – How is that not supposed to be offensive?” Bobby demanded.

“Because I say it from a place of love,” Xi’an said. “Purely platonic love. Don’t get any ideas.”

“But what if something capable of riding a meteor through space and surviving an explosion that melted a giant rock is wandering around campus?” Bobby asked

“Then we let the adults handle it instead of the boy who looks like a Walking Dead extra,” replied Xi’an.

“I do not look that bad!” Bobby snapped.

“Uh, actually Roberto…” Dani gestured up and down Bobby’s body. He still wore he scorched uniform, which he’d passed out in. That should have been able to handle any heat he threw at it, but it seemed he’d manage to outdo Forge’s wildest expectations. His tangled, sooty, matted hair clung to his face in places, and the bags under his eyes could’ve been mistaken for bruises. He slouched and swayed slightly where he stood, and Rahne forced down a laugh.

“Right,” Xi’an said. She nearly clapped her hands together, then yelped and closed her hands tightly around the ash pile. “I’m going to talk Professor Lehnsherr into giving us the day off from Danger Room training while we investigate this… Whatever it is. The rest of you are going back to bed. Bobby, take a shower first. Seriously, you smell like burnt rubber.”

That was probably the soles of his unfortunate boots. His whole uniform would need to be repaired or replaced, a first for him. Bobby tromped off grumbling in Portuguese.

“I have no idea what you said, but I heard that,” Xi’an called after him. Bobby responded with a rude gesture, and Xi’an laughed. “Ah, he’s lucky I have important squad leader things to do. Anyway, what’re you two still doing here. Go to bed. Shoo.”

“Maybe ah could help track the scent,” Rahne said.

“Nope.” Xi’an shoved her towards the manor. “Not right now, anyway. You are going to sleep and I won’t be far behind you. So go. I am not above using powers to force you.”

Rahne huffed in annoyance but followed Dani back to their room. Her human side was right, of course. She could’ve fallen asleep on her feet. A day of survival training under X-23 followed by a night interrupted by a giant falling rock did not an energetic Wolfsbane make. The didn’t stop her from turning into a wolf and crawling under her covers to sulk at the dismissal. The stupid warm soft blankets made it difficult for her to stay mad. They made it hard for her to feel anything besides more tired. Stupid blankets, stupid rock, stupid Xi’an. She could help. Well, maybe she could help after she spent some more time in these soft, warm blankets…

“Hey, I’m closing the window,” Dani said. “I know you like the air, but it’s getting too cold out. Is that okay with you?”

Rahne responded with an assenting – but still thoroughly annoyed – huff. She heard the window close and lock, and then listened to the wooden bedframe creak as Dani climbed into the bunk above her.

“There’s probably nothing to worry about, right?” Dani asked. “I mean, whatever it is, the Uncanny squad will be able to deal with it?”

Rahne huffed.

“I know you can talk when you turn into a wolf, Rahne.”

Rahne huffed.

“Fine. Be that way.” Dani turned above. Rahne felt a stab of guilt. Her team mate was probably as stressed by the bizarre affair as Rahne herself.

“Ah’ll talk to ye later, Dani,” Rahne said finally. “Ah’m just tired.”

“Ok.” Dani sounded relieved. That made Rahne feel just a bit better. She poked her nose out from the blankets. She could sleep in wolf form, but cleaning up all the fur she shed was a nightmare. So, wincing a bit at the cold air outside her blanket barrier, Rahne transformed back into her human self, stretched, and fell asleep.


	2. Black and Gold 2

Some days, Xi'an hated being squad leader. The job had its perks, sure. The authority it gave her in the eyes of more senior X-Men was wonderful, and telling Roberto what to do never got old, but the _responsibility_ of it weighed on her. Most girls her age were barely scraping through their first semesters of college, but Xi'an had the unenviable task of corralling three reckless teenagers in what often turned into life-or-death situations. And as if that wasn't bad enough on its own, she also often found herself doing extra work while the rest of her team got to slack off. Today, unfortunately, was no exception. Hopefully she didn't look as exhausted as she felt.

"I'm pulling up the security videos from last night," Illyana said. She tapped a few keys on the keyboard and the monitor on the far wall flickered on. "It looks like cameras 4D and 7C were damaged in the crash. Someone make a note to tell Forge, I'll probably forget."

"Noted. So, what've you got for us Illyana?" Xi'an asked.

"Giant rock, explosion, apparently Roberto set part of the woods on fire – "

"I think Xi'an was asking you to play the video for us, Snowflake," Piotr said gently.

Illyana blinked, still focused on the computer screen. Her pale blue eyes narrowed and she furrowed her brow. She didn't seem to have heard her brother.

"Hey, Snowflake, you plan on sharing with the class?" Xi'an called, almost shouting. Illyana jolted in her seat and glanced about with wide eyes. She blushed and quickly clicked on something.

"Here," Illyana said. A video flickered onto the screen. "Maybe the class can figure out what the hell I just saw."

"Illyana," Piotr chided. Illyana mumbled an apology and hit play.

In Xi'an's professional opinion, the footage warranted a reaction much stronger than a simple "What the hell?" She wasn't an expert geologist, but she knew rocks didn't usually move, not counting certain fellow students and Ben Grimm. If rocks did move, Xi'an assumed it would be the entire rock and not just one section. And there on the screen sat a single section of the falling meteor that thrashed and squirmed as if alive. Alive and… In pain? Yes, somehow Xi'an could tell the writhing mass of whatever-the-hell it was on the rock was in distress.

 _It's trying to figure out what to do,_ Xi'an realized. Apparently getting set on fire upon entry to Earth's atmosphere hadn't been a part of its plans for the day. But if it hadn't-

Bobby dropped into the frame. A jet-black field of energy covered his skin. His veins and eyes shone brilliant red; the solar power shone brightest on his chest. The thing on the meteor, seemingly sensing the danger, detached itself from the rock and shot off into the night without a moment to spare. The screen went white with the force of Bobby's explosion. Xi'an's heart dropped to her stomach as she remembered what came next.

She never should have agreed to Dani's plan. Its failure seemed so inevitable to Xi'an now. Bobby could have died, and it would've been Xi'an's fault. She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth against the storm of guilt and anxiety rising in her chest. She'd done her best, same as always. Her best wasn't good enough.

"Xi'an," Professor Kinney said. "Go get Roberto. Bring him down to the lab immediately."

"What?" Xi'an asked. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"Just do as you're told, Xi'an." Professor Kinney's voice was cold. She fixed Xi'an with a stare that said 'I'll throw you out if I have to.'

Xi'an stood her ground. "I'm his squad leader. If you think something's wrong with Bobby, you have to tell me."

"And I will," Professor Kinney said. "After you get him to the lab. Right now, I need to talk with the adults in the room."

"You want Illyana to leave as well then?" Piotr asked.

"She shouldn't have been here to begin with," Professor Kinney said. "She's still not on a squad, correct?"

"You're welcome," Illyana grumbled. She waved to her brother and strode towards the door. Xi'an, realizing the argument was over, reluctantly followed.

The two girls walked to the elevator back up to the main school in silence. Illyana was visibly agitated, but Xi'an had her own concerns. A fresh wave of anxiety gnawed at her, overpowering her frustration at being dismissed. Something was wrong with Bobby. Had the twisting mass on the meteor done something to him? Xi'an should never had let him jump. Stupid. So stupid.

"It reminded me of that red ooze thing," Illyana said as they reached the elevator.

"What?" Xi'an asked.

"That thing Spider-Man fought in New York years ago." Illyana reached out and pressed the call button. "What was it called? Ravage? Pillage? No… Oh, Carnage! I couldn't sleep for a week after Logan showed me the news reel. Piotr was so mad."

"That was only one year ago." Xi'an could remember that fight. The Fantastic Four had been running crowd control, and she'd helped as best she could. That had been before she'd arrived at Xavier's. "And what are you talking about?"

The door opened with a hiss and the two stepped inside.

"The thing on the meteor?" Illyana asked "Enormous mass of wiggling space goo? Did you miss it?"

"I –" Illyana was right. Xi'an remembered the rippling, oily red ooze that had covered Carnage's body. The way the creature on the meteor wriggled and shifted was almost identical. And it had felt pain. Mr. Richards had said that klyntar – symbiotes – were living creatures capable of emotion and pain just like humans. But that had to be a coincidence. Rogue klyntar were supposed to be rare. The odds of one crashing into the mansion were astronomical. And if it wasn't rogue? What if -?

As soon as the doors opened, something hurtled through the air towards Illyana and Xi'an. Xi'an dodged with a yelp, but Illyana caught the object in her hands. It was a battered grey bookbag. Xi'an looked across the hall and saw a young woman with curly brown hair standing next to a scrawny blond boy with something tucked under his arm. The young man looked stunned, but his companion just laughed.

"Kitty," Illyana said. "If my laptop is in here –"

"I got it," The boy said, holding up the small black computer he'd been holding. "She was sure nothing would happen, but I wouldn't let her risk it."

"You're a lifesaver, Dougie," Illyana said, striding across the hall to join the pair. She slapped "Dougie" on his left shoulder, earning a pained yelp in return. She stepped back in surprise.

"I'm sorry, Doug, I didn't mean to –" Illyana said.

Doug held out her laptop with his right hand. "Not your fault, Yana. I slept on it the wrong way. Just paying the dumbass tax." He winced and massaged his forearm, which was half hidden in the large front pocket of his hoodie.

"Can we talk on the way to class?" Kitty asked. "We're gonna be late soon and I so do not wanna deal with the teacher going off on us."

"Yeah, sorry," Illyana slipped her computer into her bag and waved to Xi'an.

"I'll see you around," Xi'an said.

"Sooner rather than later," Illyana said. Then the three walked off, leaving Xi'an alone with her insecurities.

Xi'an spun on her heel and strode off in the opposite direction. She did her best to exude confidence she didn't have, and it seemed to work. Other students parted around her, letting her through the crowded halls. She knew the way to Bobby's dorm room. She'd memorized all her teammates favorite locations and classes when she'd been assigned to lead them. A bit creepy, but she wasn't trying to stalk them. She just needed to know where to find them in an emergency. Like right now.

Xi'an took a forced, shaky breath. In and out, slowly, just like Susan Richards had taught her. Xi'an turned her mind away from Roberto. What did she know about symbiotes? More than Professor Kinney probably suspected. Spending a month in the care of the Fantastic Four let one in on all sorts of knowledge about the societies of the wider universe.

The klyntar, more commonly called symbiotes, were a supposedly peaceful race that rarely found their way to Earth. They were sapient parasites who bonded to an animal host and fed on the host's nutrients. In return, the symbiote offered the host supernatural strength and resilience. Apparently, the symbiotes that ventured out into the wider universe were meant to seek out brave warriors to bond with to form perfect superheroes. If that was true, the two symbiotes that had found their way to Earth must have hit their heads somewhere along the way. Would one of those wandering warriors pick Bobby? He was an arrogant pain in the ass, true, but he was a far better choice than Cletus Kasady. Well, that might be setting the bar a little too low. Bobby was a blowhard, not a serial killer.

She reached the boys' dorms. Bobby's room was the seventh on the left, the one with Captain America's shield scrawled around the peephole in permanent marker. She knocked. A few moments later, a stocky young man with gray fur and a wolf-like head opened the door.

"Hi Nick," Xi'an said. "Is Bobby awake?"

"He just got out of the shower a few minutes ago. He should still be up." Nick turned towards the room's two sets up bunk beds. "Hey, Bobby! Your captain's calling!"

"Tell her to leave a message," a muffled voice replied from the top-right bunk.

"This isn't a 'leave a message' kind of situation, Roberto," Xi'an called. "X-23 wants you down in the lab ASAP."

Bobby lifted his head just enough for Xi'an to see him glaring at her. "I thought you said you'd get us the day off."

"I did, honest."

"So, what's the problem?"

How to explain to someone that they might've gotten infected by a psychotic alien parasite in twenty words or less? Xi'an shook her head. "I'll explain on the way. You decent?"

"No," Bobby said. "You're really dragging me out of bed for the third time in twelve hours?"

Xi'an held up her hands. "Don't lay this on me, Bobby. Professor Kinney was insistent."

"Fine. Fine. Give me a minute."

Nick shot Xi'an a sympathetic glance as he closed the door. Xi'an inspected it, eager for anything to keep her mind off her worries. Now that she looked closer, she could see that the shield emblem had actually been scratched into the expensive-looking wood before being colored over. Bobby and his roommates all insisted it had been there before any of them had arrived at the Institute. Xi'an felt inclined to believe them. The school had been operating for almost a decade now. Dozens of teenagers had lived in this dorm room, and any one of them could be considered a suspect in the vandalism.

The door opened. Bobby stood in a pair of black slacks and white polo with a red stripe across the chest. Simple, stylish, and definitely overkill for someone whose only plans for the day involved sitting on a metal table getting poked and prodded.

"So," Bobby said as he closed the door. "I was promised an explanation."

Xi'an explained the situation as best she could s they walked, and to her astonishment, Bobby actually listened. Xi'an expected him to interrupt her, or at least scoff in disbelief, but he didn't. Well, he had been enrolled for a few semesters. A sapient alien parasite invading the campus probably wasn't too far-fetched for someone who shared a bedroom with a werewolf. It wasn't until they'd reached the elevator – and Xi'an had finished talking – that Bobby finally said something.

"So, is there a checklist of things to prove I'm not secretly infected with an alien murder machine?" He asked. "If I tell them I haven't heard voices in my head or started craving raw meat or doing whatever the hell it is rogue symbiotes do they'll let me go back to bed?"

"Doubt it," Xi'an said. "Hey, do you want to press the button?"

"What are we, five?" Roberto asked.

"I mean, I got to push it twice already, but if you don't want to -" Xi'an reached her hand out, and Bobby swatted it aside.

"Yes, of course I want to push the button, Shan." Roberto pressed the button with his thumb and grinned as the door closed. He swayed back and forth on the balls of his feet as they descended, and Xi'an could tell he was trying to stay upbeat.

The doors buzzed open, revealing the cold steel walls of the X-Men's underground complex. The last illusions of Bobby's levity evaporated, and he began to tug at the stud earring he always wore as the pair walked towards the lab.

"What if one of these things did latch onto me, Shan?" He asked. "What if it takes control?"

"Doctor McCoy should be able to get rid of it if it's there, Roberto," Xi'an said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. It was unnaturally warm.

"And if he can't?" Bobby asked, his temperature rising further. "Or if it lashes out, or -?"

"Hey, Bobby, look at me." Xi'an pulled him to a stop and met his eyes. "Everything is going to be fine. There's probably nothing wrong with you. The thing in the video flew off before your blast hit it. This is just a precaution, okay?"

She had to say that. She had to believe it. She needed to convey confidence, even if it was really just bravado. She'd gotten damn good at pretending to be the fearless leader everyone thought she was. If she kept it up and she might actually manage to be that woman one day.

After a long moment, Bobby nodded. She felt the heat begin to die down and removed her hand from his shoulder, holding it up in the air. She swept it out of the way before Bobby could catch it, then poked him between the eyes, grinning.

"Come on," she said. "Sooner we get there, the sooner you can leave."

"You're not staying with me?" Bobby asked.

"Hell no," Xi'an said. "I'm going to sleep. Sorry, Johnny Storm, you're on your own."

"You're the worst, Shan," Bobby laughed. "The. Worst."

When they arrived in the lab, Doctor McCoy was pacing back and forth on the ceiling. He clutched a tablet in one enormous blue paw and scrolled slowly with the other. After a moment, he noticed the two students waiting for him. He swung down from the ceiling, landing gracefully on the balls of his feet, and adjusted his glasses.

"Ah, Mr. de Costa and Ms. Coy Manh. Hello, hello." Doctor McCoy had a calm, refined voice that just did not match his hulking blue-furred body. "You've my sincerest apologies for dragging you down here, Roberto. I understand you were given the day off?"

"That's what everyone's been telling me," Roberto said. "I'm starting to think it's some kind of prank."

"Well, settle in here then." Professor Kinney said. Xi'an turned and found her sitting in one of the chairs along the back wall.

"We believe you could be –" Doctor McCoy began.

"Infected by some crazy alien parasite like that red freak that tore up New York last February. Xi'an gave me the rundown already," Bobby said.

Doctor McCoy raised his thick eyebrows in surprise. Xi'an shrugged, pointedly not looking at Professor Kinney. It wasn't like it was against the rules for Xi'an to have unique background knowledge, but she wasn't about to open herself up to any accusations of eavesdropping. She already had enough to worry about.

"I'm guessing I'm going to be in quarantine or something until you get test results in, right?" Bobby asked.

Doctor McCoy nodded apologetically. "We do have a few beds. They're not the most comfortable, but they're better than the chairs."

Bobby shot Xi'an a glare then sighed dramatically. "Whatever. Let's just get this over with."

X

The clock on the nightstand read 12:03. That meant… What, three, three and a half hours of sleep? Not long enough. Rahne closed her eyes and flopped back onto her pillow. She almost managed to fall back asleep before she realized what she was smelling.

She leapt from her bed, the wolf rushing to the fore in an instant. She strode into the hall, ignoring everything but her quarry. The trail led her down the hall and up a flight of stairs to the first door on the left. The door was unlocked, so she opened it and stepped inside. There were three people inside, all around Rahne's age, maybe a bit older. Which one was the source?

Rahne transformed. Colors muted as sound and smell grew sharper. One of the room's occupants was demanding an explanation from her. Rahne knew that voice. Kitty Pryde. Right. This was the room she shared with Illyana. But Illyana wasn't the source of the scent, Rahne knew, otherwise she would've picked up on it earlier. Rahne shoved her snout towards Kitty, sniffing intently at the girl's leg. Rahne discovered a new variant of plaster dust and a sharp mechanical scent, but not the one she was after.

Kitty shoved Rahne away. She was shouting now. Rahne didn't bother to listen. Not Kitty, not Illyana, which left the third person. Rahne turned to the desk where he sat. He stood up and backed away, holding his hands up defensively. Rahne ducked under Kitty's attempt to grab her and approached the boy. Yes. Yes, he was the source!

"Uh, guys, what's she doing?" the boy asked. "I really don't like that look."

Rahne jumped forward, knocking the young man to the ground and pinning him beneath her paws. He shouted for help as Rahne began sniffing at his jacket, his shirt, his neck. It had to be something he was wearing or – There! A black something wriggled into view from behind the boy's head. Rahne yelped in excitement and shoved her nose towards it, but something grabbed her scruff. She whined in protest as she was hauled off. So close. She was so close. She just had to –

To what, exactly?

Kitty let go, and Rahne shook her head, forcing the wolf back down.

"Are you crazy?" Kitty demanded. "What the hell are you doing?"

"Ah…" Rahne struggled to find any explanation besides the honest one. Hunting. She'd been hunting. She'd just attacked a fellow student. Had she hurt him? She turned to see him pulling himself up against the wall, one hand covering his throat. Rahne couldn't smell blood, but he might've headbutted his throat.

"I'm fine," He said. Then, in a lower tone that Rahne only picked up on thanks to her heightened senses, he added, "Calm down. Somebody'll see you."

What? He lowered his hand, revealing no marks on his throat. For a moment, Rahne thought she saw something writhing near his collar, but it vanished. Something was very, very wrong with this boy.

"You need to leave," Kitty said, hauling Rahne towards the door by the arm.

"Just let me explain, ah –" Kitty tossed Rahne out into the hall before she could argue her case and slammed the door. The lock clicked.

Rahne sat, stunned, unable to think of what to do. She'd just _hunted_ another student. She hadn't hurt him, yes, but she had given up a dangerous amount of control. She could have killed someone in that state. She'd come close before. But on the other hand, that boy definitely smelled the same as the meteor, and Rahne had seen something moving on him. She couldn't just ignore that, could she? No, but she clearly couldn't be trusted to handle this herself.

She stood, brushed herself off, and headed for her room. She'd wake up Dani and Xi'an, assuming their leader was there, and they'd figure out what to do. Rahne would just follow their lead. That was the safe way to do this.


End file.
